CRIMSON TIDE’S CAPTAIN RAMSEY: A LESSON IN TOXIC LEADERSHIP
Posted byTodd Moulton
May 4, 2023
Military service members typically receive training on leadership theories and techniques, but there is little teaching on identifying non-adaptive leadership.
The recent rash of United States’ military leaders relieved from their positions demonstrates that the organization sometimes misidentifies quality individuals to lead. These miscues transpire for various reasons, but military professions must attempt to recognize traits not conducive to leadership and remove these personnel from the service. Military service members typically receive training on leadership theories and techniques, but there is little teaching on identifying non-adaptive leadership.
Enter Hollywood. Crimson Tide is a quintessential military movie: fast paced, dramatic, and filled with quotable dialogue. The movie focuses on the USS Alabama’s commander, who faces a decision whether or not to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike based on incomplete information. The movie centers on the power struggle between Captain Frank Ramsey, the USS Alabama’s command officer (CO), portrayed by Gene Hackman, and his executive officer (XO), Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter, portrayed by Denzel Washington. The USS Alabama receives a National Command Authority (NCA) message authorizing the submarine to launch its nuclear missiles after Russian separatists gain access to nuclear weapons and begin to fuel the missiles. However, as the submarine maneuvers into position to launch, the crew receives a second message, interrupted by a communications malfunction, which potentially tells the submarine to stand down. The two main characters verbally and physically challenge each other on their respective authorities to launch a pre-emptive strike under the NCA’s first message. As the USS Alabama’s CO, Captain Ramsey has the appropriate authorities to launch nuclear missiles, once the captain received an authenticated NCA message. However, as a safeguard against accidental launches, two senior officers must retrieve keys from a safe to launch the missiles. The XO is a more cautious individual and wishes to see the full second message and validate the need for a launch, leading him to non-concur with the CO and mutiny to prevent the CO from firing the nuclear missiles. Even though the movie exaggerates the leadership conflicts, the motion picture is an appropriate learning tool to demonstrate advantages and detractions on certain leadership types.
https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/ramsey/
